Meganne Christian

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Meganne Christian

FRAeS
Meganne Christian 2025.jpg
Christian at European Astronaut Centre, 2025
BornDecember 1987  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Pembury   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Alma mater
Occupation
Awards
Academic career
Fields Graphene, hydrogen storage, atmospheric physics, nanomaterials, Antarctic, space exploration   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Institutions
Thesis Core-shell borohydrides for reversible hydrogen storage  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Space career
ESA astronaut
Selection 2022 ESA Group

Meganne Louise Christian (born 1987) FRAeS is a member of the 2022 European Space Agency Astronaut Group, [1] and Reserve Astronaut and Exploration Commercialisation Lead at the UK Space Agency. [2]

Contents

She was previously a materials scientist at the National Research Council (CNR) in Bologna, Italy, and atmospheric physicist at Concordia Station in Antarctica.

Research

Christian in the snow, at Concordia Station, Antarctica Meganne Christian at Concordia.jpg
Christian in the snow, at Concordia Station, Antarctica

At the Italian National Research Agency (CNR) in Bologna, she worked on the production and microscopical characterisation of graphene-based nanocomposites, [3] [4] in particular 3D graphene structures such as graphene foams, as part of the EU's Graphene Flagship. [5] This included zero-gravity research in 2018, studying the application of loop heat pipes for the heat management of satellites. [6] [7] [8] She held the role of atmospheric physicist and meteorologist at the Franco-Italian Antarctic research base at Concordia Station during the 2019 "DC15" Winter-over campaign [9] [5] [10] [11] [12] [13] and the 2020–21 Summer season. [14] [15]

Biography

Born in Kent, England to New Zealand parents, at five she moved with her family to Wollongong, Australia. [16] [9] She attended The Illawarra Grammar School [17] and was part of the school's 2002 international championship team of Future Problem Solving Program International. [18] [19] Studying at the University of New South Wales, in 2009 Christian received a Bachelor of Engineering and the university medal in industrial chemistry. [20] Continuing at UNSW, she received the 2011 Heinz Harant award [21] and her doctorate in 2014 for research into hydrogen storage with borohydrides, [22] [23] after which she moved in Bologna and worked at the Institute of Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM) at the National Research Council of Italy. [24] [9] [25] The ambassador of Australia to Italy featured Christian as part of International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2021. [26] In June 2023, she was appointed Reserve Astronaut and Exploration Commercialisation Lead at the UK Space Agency. [2] [27] In 2023, she received the Australia Day award “Wollongong to the world” from the city. [28] [29] In March 2024, she was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. [30] [31]

She holds four citizenships, British and New Zealand by birth; Australian and Italian by naturalisation. [2] She was married on Australia Day 2014 at St James' Church, Sydney to Liam Wyatt. [32] She received Italian citizenship in 2022.

A barbershop singer, Christian has twice won the Sweet Adelines International competition’s “harmony classic” division – in 2017 [33] and 2023 with Canberra-based choir ‘’Brindabella chorus’'. [34] She holds a blackbelt in Hapkido. Other hobbies include via ferrata, knitting, sewing and whitewater rafting. [35] [33]

References

  1. ↑ "Meganne Christian". www.esa.int. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 King, Hazel (25 July 2023). "Interview with an astronaut: Meganne Christian". FINN - The Aviation Industry Hub | FINN. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Campus Italia: Series 3, Episode 2" (in Italian). RAI. 12 June 2016. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  4. ↑ "EPISODE 10: Exploring Problem Solving and Embracing the Unknown - Meganne Christian". Inspirenorth.com. Inspire North. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Spotlight: Graphene for space, batteries and water splitting with Meganne Christian". Graphene Flagship. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  6. ↑ Flagship, Graphene. "Graphene tests set for zero-G flight". phys.org. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  7. ↑ "Graphene Week" (PDF). Graphene Flagship. 2018. p. 1, 6-7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  8. ↑ "Zero Gravity Graphene – Satellite Loop Heat Pipes - the Flight". YouTube . Graphene Flagship. 15 December 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 Francesca Blesio (3 November 2018). "Meganne, da Bologna ai ghiacci dell'Antartide tra gli scogli della Brexit". Corriere di Bologna (in Italian). Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  10. ↑ "The most isolated place on Earth". The Europeans. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  11. ↑ Vitale, Enzo (24 August 2019). "Meganne Christian, fisico italo-australiano al Polo Sud: «Da qui si capisce meglio il cambiamento climatico»". Il Messaggero (in Italian).
  12. ↑ Tassi, Gabriele (15 November 2018). "l'Antartide e il mio sogno". Il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). p. 11.
  13. ↑ "Diario dall'Antartide/Terza puntata: l'ingegner Meganne Christian alle prese con la meteorologia del Polo Sud Video". Il Messaggero (in Italian). 25 August 2019. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  14. ↑ Tassi, Gabriele (17 February 2021). "Il mio anno tra l'Antartide e la pandemia" (in Italian). il Resto del Carlino. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  15. ↑ Cacciarini, Sara (29 November 2020). "Base Concordia la diretta dall'Antartide a cura dell'ENEA programma di ricerca Antartide". Il Terzo News (in Italian). Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  16. ↑ Burgess, Kaya. "British Paralympian John McFall hopes to make history as astronaut". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  17. ↑ School (TIGS), The Illawarra Grammar. "Alumni Showcase | Meganne Christian". The Illawarra Grammar School (TIGS). Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  18. ↑ "TIGS girls now world title winners". Wollongong Advertiser . 3 July 2002. p. 2.
  19. ↑ Australia, Future Problem Solving Program. "Parent Perspectives Newsletter". fpsp.org.au. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  20. ↑ "Prize Winners 2009". www.student.unsw.edu.au. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  21. ↑ "Heinz Harant Award". Arc UNSW Student Life. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  22. ↑ Christian, Meganne (2013). PH.D THESIS: Core-shell borohydrides for reversible hydrogen storage. www.unsworks.unsw.edu.au (Thesis). UNSW Open Access institutional repository. doi:10.26190/unsworks/16535. hdl:1959.4/53100 . Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  23. ↑ "Staff & Alumni". MERlin University of Sydney EnergyH. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  24. ↑ "NuoviEmiliani. Meganne, ricercatrice quasi italiana". Aria Pulita [Television broadcast]. 7 Gold - Emilia Romagna. 19 November 2018.
  25. ↑ "Meganne, da Bologna ai ghiacci dell'Antartide tra gli scogli della Brexit - cittadinanza Italiana per Meganne Christian | IMM Container". www.imm.cnr.it (in Italian). IMM Bologna. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  26. ↑ Twomey, Margaret (11 February 2021). "Oggi celebriamo le #DonnenellaScienza, tra cui Meganne Christian dall'🇦🇺, laureata alla @UNSW. Meganne ha visitato due volte l'Antartide e lavora in 🇮🇹 presso @CNRsocial_@ItaliAntartide". Twitter (in Italian). Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  27. ↑ "UK Space Agency welcomes reserve astronaut Meganne Christian". GOV.UK. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  28. ↑ "Australia Day Awards: the locals changing the face of Wollongong". Illawarra Mercury. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  29. ↑ "Awards highlight". Wollongong City Council. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  30. ↑ Christian, Meganne [@astro_meganne] (27 March 2024). "I was honoured to be elected as a Fellow of the @AeroSociety" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 March 2024– via Twitter.
  31. ↑ "UK aims for the stars – Space-Comm Expo 2024". Royal Aeronautical Society. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  32. ↑ "Ringing World BellBoard". bb.ringingworld.co.uk. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  33. 1 2 Hopman, Sally. "Former Canberran set to hit career height as Australia's first female astronaut". Riotact. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  34. ↑ "From humble beginnings in Canberra, this all-female choir is now among the best in the world". ABC News. 3 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  35. ↑ Hopman, Sally. "Russell Crowe, Anzac biscuits and now Meganne Christian – why we want to claim them as our own". Riotact. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
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